Shaman lore
=General Info= The best source of information about shamanism in Warcraft is the book Lord of the Clans. The following pages contain excellent information about the core philosophies of shamanism, as where their power comes from: *163, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180 =About Shaman Magic= The following conversations are from Lord of the Clans, written by Christie Golden, copyright 2001 by Blizzard Entertainment. While it has little or nothing to do with gameplay, certain people may find it of interest, particularly if they wish to roleplay. First, a conversation between Thrall and Grom Hellscream, where Grom tells the younger orc more of shamanic magic.... THRALL: Isn't magic magic? GROM: Yes and no. Sometimes the effect is the same. For instance, if a shaman was to summon lightning to strike his foes, they would be burned to death. If a warlock was to summon hell's flames against an enemy, they would be burned to death. THRALL: So magic is magic. GROM: But lightning is a natural phenomenon. You call it by requesting it. With hell's fire, you make a bargain. It costs a little of yourself. THRALL: But you said that the shamans were disappearing. Doesn't that mean that the warlocks way was better? GROM: The warlock's way was quicker, more effective, or so it seemed. But there comes a time when a price must be paid, and sometimes, it is dear indeed. ---- The most well-known price the orcs paid for their use of demonic magic is chronicled in the entry entitled Lethargy of the Orcs. The next conversation is between Thrall and Drek'Thar of the Frostwolf Clan..... DREK'THAR: I can call the snows, and wind, and lightning. The trees may bend to me when I ask. The rivers may flow where I ask them to. THRALL: If your power is so great, then why do you continue to live in such a harsh place? If what you are saying is true, you could turn this barren mountaintop into a lush garden. Food would never be difficult to come by, your enemies would never find you-- DREK'THAR (angrily): And I would violate the primary agreement with the elements, and nothing of nature would ever respond to me again! Do you understand nothing? Have the humans sunk their greedy talons in you so deeply that you cannot see what lies at the heart of a shaman's power? I am granted these things because I ask , with respect in my heart, and I am willing to offer something in return. I request only the barest needs for myself and my people. At times, I ask great things, but only when the cause is good and just and wholesome. In return, I thank these powers, knowing they are borrowed only, never bought. They come to me because they choose to, not because I demand it! These are not slaves, Thrall. They are powerful entities who come of their own free will, who are companions in my magic, not my servants. Pagh! You will never understand. =Shamanic Philosophy= Note that all shaman gain their power from the Elemental Spirits, so most shamanic philosophy is the same no matter which race practices it. Previously, it was thought that the rigid diciplines of the Holy Light were incompatable with shamanism, but the recent advent of the Draenei Shamans proves that the Spirits are not so different from the Light. Orcs and Shamans (after the second war) Under the leadership of Thrall, the Orcs have rediscovered their ancient Shamanistic traditions. In an attempt to rid the Horde of its demonic corruption, Thrall banned the use of Warlock magic and necromancy. Now, all Orc magic users practice Shaman magic which draws its power from the natural world and the elements. The Spirits The shamans call upon the Elements in their magic. There are five elements, or Spirits: Earth, Air (also Wind), Fire, Water and the Wilds. At their simplest, the elements may cause an earthquake, summon a storm, conjure fire or finding water. As their most complex, the elements are the very world we live in. The Spirit of the Wilds the the most complex and least understood of the elements. This element is tied to life- the living things that grow when the other four elements are in harmony. The Spirit is theoretically capable of restoring the dead to life, but no true shaman would ever call upon that- to violate the boundaries of life and death is to deny the very lessons of the Spirits. Velen's Vision and the Bequest of the Wind (Draenei Shamans) In recent years, Velen, the noble leader of the draenei, was granted a vision.... In it he saw the Broken: formerly healthy draenei who had devolved during the orcs' murderous crusade to wipe out the draenei race. According to Velen's vision, the Broken would rise to power once again and aid their displaced brethren. Velen's vision was given substance in the form of Nobundo, a one-time draenei priest who had devolved while the orcs decimated his race and tore the planet apart. Like his fellow Broken, Nobundo had lost contact with the Light, and so he ventured far into the deserts of Outland to meditate and pray for guidance. After decades of silence, an unfamiliar voice finally answered his prayers. It was not the Light that whispered to him, but the wind. The breeze spoke to him of lost truths, of the might of the elements – of the delicate balance of power embraced by the shaman. Nobundo listened eagerly and learned all he could. When he judged the time was right, he departed the desert determined to use this knowledge to help the draenei race. However, most draenei refugees greeted the sight of a Broken with skepticism and outright prejudice. Only one of the healthy draenei did not shun the Broken: the wise and perceptive Velen. Velen had heard the philosophy of the shaman before, but Nobundo revealed new truths. The elements were timeless; they stretched across the cosmos to inhabit every world they touched. With the proper training, the draenei might learn to wield this overlooked, seemingly inexhaustible source of power. Velen rejoiced to realize that his vision was coming to pass. Accordingly he took Nobundo with him when he and his fellow refugees took possession of the naaru satellite structure Exodar from the blood elves. Thus it was that Nobundo journeyed with the draenei to the world of Azeroth. Nobundo found that unlike the desolate wastes of Outland, Azeroth possessed abundant elemental energies. He shared his knowledge of shamanism with the draenei on Azeroth, and all who adopted its path flourished. The time for the draenei shaman to test themselves draws near, for the battle against the Burning Legion is once again at hand. And the fate not only of Azeroth, but of all worlds, hangs in the balance. From the Burning Crusade website: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/townhall/classcombo.html Category:Lore Category:Shamans